


Two Can Play At This Game

by aspiringwriterofamazingstories



Category: Aquaman (2018), DC Extended Universe, DCEU
Genre: Body Positivity, Chubby Reader, Crappy boyfriend, F/M, Hand Jobs, Open Relationship, Oral Sex, Revenge, Romance, Sex, Sexy, Smut, Sweet Revenge, love making, plus sized reader, romantic sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-05-13 04:26:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14741966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aspiringwriterofamazingstories/pseuds/aspiringwriterofamazingstories
Summary: Reader is a beautiful chubby woman whose boyfriend doesn’t appreciate her and gives her an ultimatum: open the relationship, or he dumps her. After wallowing in self pity, reader realizes that an open relationship means both partners can venture out and explore their options and she does just that. What she doesn’t expect is to fall for a muscly and tatted Arthur Curry when she does.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For the record, I have had my weight struggles as well, but I have always been what people have called “average,” so I am coming from a place where I don’t really know the experience of people who are chubby/plus-sized, so please let me know if there is anything I can do to better capture this experience.
> 
> Smut takes place in chapter 2.

When you had agreed to an open relationship, you did it only because your boyfriend had made an ultimatum; you’d see other people or he would simply break up with you.

You had been together for roughly two years and he had chosen now to be open and honest with you and confess that he had been flirting with “hotter” women online. You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. He knew you were a big girl from the beginning and you thought things were good. You enjoyed each other’s company, you shared the same interest, and you were having a lot of sex, but now to find out you were not completely “doing it” for him was like a punch in the gut. If he had a problem with your weight, why did he wait two years into the relationship? Why could he have avoided getting you attached and caring for him to begin with? You had been feeling quite good about yourself for some time, but now you were not so sure.

It had been a couple of weeks into your “open” arrangement when you grew tired of feeling sorry for yourself and crying alone when he didn’t answer your calls. You were soon struck by an epiphany sitting alone watching chick flicks in the empty house. Finding yourself longing for the heroes of each movie, you realized you had agreed to an open relationship which meant you were free to seek out your needs elsewhere too. Why should your lousy boyfriend be the only one benefiting from this? With that realization, you wiped your tears, cleaned up, dolled up, grabbed your coat, and headed out.

You drove aimlessly. Driving with no clear destination was always therapeutic for you, and you found that it always led you to an interesting path. Today, it led you to a local bar and grill near the beach. Driving past it at first, you heard the chit chat, laughter, and music and you smelled the aroma of tasty appetizers. As you made a U turn to find a parking spot, you figured that if you didn’t find a man to indulge in that night, at the very least, you could enjoy some good food and music. Maybe you’d even make a couple new girlfriends.

You were already feeling immensely better as you walked into the pub and took a seat at a small table by the window. Resting your elbows up on the table, you found yourself relaxed by the view. The moon was large and full in the violet blue night sky, and the dark ocean crashed upon the rocks in a relaxing rhythm. In the moments before the waitress startled you out of your trance, you had almost completely forgotten about your boyfriend troubles. Looking up at her, you saw she was a little younger than you and wearing frayed shorts and a white button-down shirt that she tied midway down to show off her toned abdomen. She wore such a friendly cute smile as she apologized for startling you. “I just wanted to see if you were ready to order,” she said. Biting your lip, you looked down at the menu and ordered the stuffed potato skin appetizer. She scribbled it down in her small notebook and took the menu. “Alright,” she said, “Anything else?”

“That’s it for now,” you said before thanking her and handing her the menu. She took it with another friendly smile before heading off to the kitchen area. You watched her as she left. She was probably light enough for a gentle breeze to blow her over, and as much as you didn’t want to, you found yourself wondering if that was the type of woman your boyfriend wanted. You shook your head at yourself, ashamed for thinking that way, since she actually seemed really nice. 

As you waited, you reached into your bag and pulled out your phone, looking up ever so often to see if there were any possible contenders. Every once in a while, you saw a cute guy who looked single standing by the bar, but you couldn’t gather up the courage to approach any of them. As much as you hated it, your boyfriend’s hurtful words echoed in your mind. Soon enough, the nice waitress brought your order and you thanked her again before she left you alone with the food. You then picked up one of the potato skins and took a bite before sinking back into your chair. It was delicious and your lips curled as you found the good in this experience; at least you found a new place to get some delicious appetizers to treat yourself. Once finished, the waitress came back to collect your empty plate and asked about dessert. “Why not?” you said before ordering a chocolate conspiracy cake hot fudge sundae. You couldn’t gather up the courage to approach any of the cute guys who came into the bar, but at the very least, you were going to make sure this trip was not a waste by unashamedly treating yourself to a sweet snack.

The real treat, however, came when you got your bill.

When you finished your sundae, you got your phone back out to check your texts just in case your boyfriend might have had something to say to you, but you saw that your last text had been sent four hours ago and that he did in fact read it. Sighing, you decided to check your email and browse through all your social media accounts. At one point, you decided to post some of the pictures you took of your food plus a selfie. Maybe your boyfriend would see them and see how happy you were making yourself out to be without him, but you knew he probably wouldn’t even care enough to look at the posts. As you were focused on your phone, however, you didn’t notice the tall, muscly, sturdy, tatted man with light brown skin enter the establishment, nor did you notice when his blue eyes found you and lingered there for a while before stopping your waitress to say something.

You had put your phone away and had been staring out at the view again for another few moments before the waitress came back to you. “Excuse me, miss,” she said softly as if being careful not to startle you again. 

“Oh, my bill,” you said as you began to dig out your wallet.

“There’s no need for that,” she said, “Arthur took care of both the bill and my tip.”

Her friendly smile was even brighter than before, but you were confused.

“Arthur?”

She turned slightly using her pen to point to a man with long sandy brown hair sitting alone in a booth and drinking a bottle of beer. “That gentleman over there,” she said, “He’s a regular here, but he often stays to himself. Doesn’t talk much, but he tips very generously. He’s also broken up a couple of fights. He’s our own superhero.”  
image

She looked back at you grinning. “He’s quite a looker, isn’t he?” she said, “He’s had a couple of women approach him and attempt to flirt, but I don’t recall him ever leaving with any of them. It seems you might be his type.”

You felt your face flush as she spoke and you looked over at him once again. You didn’t know about you being his type, but he certainly was your type. 

Digging into your bag to take out your wallet, you handed her an adequate tip. “You’ve been so nice,” you said to her, “and it’s been such a rough few weeks. I wouldn’t feel right not handing this to you.”

She raised her eyebrows taking the money and looking at you again. “Are you sure?” she asked. You nodded and smiled. “Thank you,” she said, “That’s really sweet.”

Smirking, she nodded in the man’s direction. “You should try talking to him,” she then said before giving you a wink and walking off, leaving you alone with your thoughts. At first, you thought of just leaving. You were convinced you were reading this all wrong, but then, you remembered that he did pay your tab. At the very least, it would be the right thing to do to thank him. You took out your compact mirror and checked your makeup. After touching up your lipstick, you got up and smoothed out your dress. You then took a deep breath and approached the booth where the man sat.

“Excuse me,” you said softer than you had intended it to be. Your heart was racing, and when he looked up at you, you felt like your knees were turning into gelatin. How was it possible for anyone to be so rugged and handsome? He met your gaze with a smirk, which sent your heart into another flutter. “I…well…I just wanted to thank you. It was really nice of you to pay my tab.”

He shrugged it off. “Well, it’s pretty easy to want to pay the tab of a beautiful woman,” he said in a frank not-a-big-deal tone. His voice was deep and masculine, yet at the same time, non-threatening. You couldn’t stop yourself from letting out a goofy giggle. You felt embarrassed by yourself, but he didn’t seem phased at all. In fact, he smiled himself and let out his own chuckle. “Well…thanks,” you said, “but still. It was really nice of you. I’ve had such a rough couple of weeks, and this really helped lighten my mood.”

“I’m all ears if you want to let it all out,” he said nodding to the booth on the other side of the table, “Wouldn’t mind treating you to a drink or two as well.”

It seemed too good to be true. You could hear your boyfriend’s words echoing in your mind once again. “This isn’t doing it for me….I need to explore my options….I love you, but I have to look elsewhere to get turned on…” But now, instead of feeling discouraged, you looked over the impossibly gorgeous man who invited you to enjoy his company and vent and suddenly felt spiteful. You never thought of your boyfriend as weaselly before, but compared to this man he was, and this man just called you beautiful. You decided then and there to just go for it and sat across from him.

“You’re going to think this is really silly…” you began. He responded by shaking his head. “Lay it on me,” he said as he gestured at the waitress to come over so he could order some drinks.

You told him everything. You told him how you thought you had finally found someone nice to settle down with, but it turned out that throughout the two years of dating him, he never really found you attractive at all. You then told him of the ultimatum and you once again felt your face begin to flush as you explained how you had gone out to take advantage of this open arrangement yourself.

“No offense,” he said, “but you’re boyfriend is a bonehead.”

You laughed a little, but felt a tinge of guilt for not coming to his defense. Arthur went on. “If I had a woman half as gorgeous as you, I wouldn’t even think to look elsewhere or even consider sharing her.”

You felt yourself blushing once again and realized you had a wonderfully clear opening here. Looking up from your almost empty bottle of booze in a flirtatiously coy manner you decided to take it. “Well,” you said, “Maybe you can be my man tonight. I’m sure my own won’t miss me.”

Giving you that same smirk that turned your limbs into jelly earlier, he waved for the waitress to bring the tab, and before you knew it, you were leaving with a man who looked as if he belonged on a romance novel cover.

It wasn’t quite your expectations for the night. In fact, this surpassed them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader gets a little frisky with Arthur when she takes him home, and Arthur is more than happy to fulfill her needs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is literally my first time writing smut, so please go easy on me!

You ended up taking him back to your place since he told you that his place was a little "far away out." You exchanged some small talk during the drive, but although you had gained enough confidence to invite him home, there was still a cloud of shyness plaguing you that didn't allow you to reveal much other than your name and what kind of work you did for a living. As a result, you didn't get to learn much about him either, other than he did some marine biology related work. 

Had you of known you would be having a visitor, you might have cleaned up a little, but luckily, he didn't seem to mind the mess, and at the very least, you had worn your sexy lace underneath your dress just in case you should get lucky that night. You had a small studio apartment. It wasn't much, but it was just the amount of room you needed for the time being. You and your boyfriend had talked moving in together and how your combined incomes could enable you both to live in a bigger space, but really, that's all it was; talk. 

Leading Arthur into the small kitchen portion of the space, you offered him a beer from the fridge, which he was happy to accept. As you turned your back to him, you could feel his eyes on you, and you could sense their hunger and desire. Ever so often, you'd get a sense when someone attractive was into you, and this was one of those instances. There was no mistaking it, and it caused a burning sensation to awaken inside of you. You met his piercing blue eyes once again as you set one bottle of beer on the counter near him and popped off the bottle of your own. His eyes never left you as he did the same. 

Raising your bottle, you smiled shyly, and once again, for whatever reason, you couldn't get your voice to rise above a soft volume. "To...new experiences?" you said immediately feeling embarrassed by how lame that was, but he only smirked and clinked the neck of your bottle with his own. "New experiences," he said before you both took generous swigs of your drinks. 

Your heart was running a marathon. Say something before he decides you're boring and leaves! you scolded yourself. "I'm actually surprised you agreed to come home with me," you said immediately regretting the topic of conversation you chose. Surely, he was going to get tired of all the bashing you were doing to yourself. His brows furrowed. "Why's that?" he asked. 

Because according to my boyfriend, I'm not hot enough, you thought, And apparently other women do it better than I can.

You tried to find an answer that wasn't too self-deprecating, but before you could form an answer, your bag vibrated and your boyfriend's familiar tone sounded. It startled you and you bit your lip. Normally, you wouldn't have hesitated to answer it, but that spiteful edge awoke inside of you again. If he was going to have his fun with what he considered "hotter girls" and not answer your calls and texts, you were going to enjoy the company of the beefy Adonis in your apartment. You reached in your bag and rejected the call before looking back up at Arthur. 

"I'm sorry," you said, "That threw me off. What were we talking about?" 

He chuckled some. Your nervousness seemed to amuse him; hopefully, in a good way. 

"You were about to explain why you didn't think I'd come home with you," he said setting his beer down on the counter, "I mean, obviously, you have everything going for you..." He paused a moment and looked you over with raised eyebrows, and you felt your limbs turning into noodles. He was looking you over like a tasty snack. "Gorgeous, sweet, probably very smart," he said, "The only thing I can think about that would make you doubt any of that is the bonehead you told me about earlier." 

"I don't want to think about him tonight," you said setting your own drink down. You then reached over and laid your hand on top of his and you noticed how small yours looked compared to his. Smirking, he took hold of it and brought it to his lips before coming around the counter to pull you in close, and you suddenly found yourself in the pleasant position of being right up against his firm body and having him lift your chin with his free hand to pierce your gaze with his once again. "Beautiful..." he murmured before leaning down to claim your lips with his own, and you suddenly felt like you were floating, and your arms moved of their own accord to pull him by the shoulders to bring him even closer to you. His hands traveled down to your wide hips and you felt your breath catch. 

This was actually happening. The most handsome man you had ever met was in the process of seducing you, and you weren't even feeling the least bit guilty. You then felt your core begin to ache as his hands traveled around to give your ass a squeeze which caused you to let out a moan while your lips were still locked with his. Taking your opened mouth as an invitation, his tongue found his way inside to find yours. Yours was more than happy to greet his. 

After giving your ass another squeeze you felt him begin to lift the back of your dress. The sudden breeze on your exposed thighs sent a shiver through you, but it was not enough to calm the new hot sensation between your legs. His hands now rested on your panty covered ass, and the vibration of his hum of approval as he felt the lace only added to the heat growing between the two of you. 

You then felt his hands dip lower, and before you knew it, he was hoisting you up by your legs, and as if from instinct, your legs wrapped around him. You broke your kiss to gasp the words, "Take me to bed..." and he did just that, looking at you with an intense lustful gaze that made you tremble all the more before laying you gently on the bed. 

He wasted no time in mounting you and continued his kiss as his hands found the straps of your dress and began to pull them down. Soon, your cleavage was exposed, and then your entire bra, before you knew it, the top portion of your dress was bundled and wrinkled at your waist. He broke the kiss to sit up and look you over, and for the first time since your boyfriend's cruel words, you felt beautiful. He looked at you with not only wanting eyes, but as someone who had just seen a real-life goddess. You felt your face flush, but before you could begin to beg him for his touch, he continued his work by cupping your breasts with his hands and giving them a light squeeze before finding the clasp in the center to free them. Once your breasts were exposed, he kissed you once again before trailing them down your neck, your chest, and soon enough, his lips found one of your breasts where they wrapped themselves around your sensitive nipple. A moan escaped you as his hand found the other and began massaging it so as to not leave it out of the fun. As he had his fun with your breasts, your hands found his back and began pulling up his shirt. He stopped what he was doing only to assist you in removing it, but that didn't stop a needy whimper from escaping your lips. Chuckling, he tossed the shirt aside exposing all of the tattoos that decorated his hard, toned physique and began his work on your breasts again before he began pulling up the bottom of your dress. 

As if his lips and hands weren't enough, his moan of approval when cupping your heat was enough to turn you on even more, and when he pulled the material aside to stroke your slit, you couldn't help but spread your thick thighs even further than they were before. His eyes met yours as he took his lips off of your breast and you felt another shiver as they remained locked on you as one of his fingers dipped between your lower lips. Playing with the moisture, he traveled further down your chubby waist with his kisses until he reached the area where his fingers were and slowly pulled down your panties over your thighs and off completely before tossing them aside as he did with his shirt. He then looked over your core and then at you before licking his lips. His look was intense, more intense than it had been thus far. Full of lust. Full of need, but waiting for your approval. You nodded. And with your permission, he ducked between your legs and began his work. His beard tickling your inner thighs as he did. 

He began by teasing your entrance with his tongue, causing your inner walls to flinch and for you to gasp. Once he got his fill of teasing you that way, he followed by long licks from the bottom of your opening right up until he almost touched your clit before he would begin his licks at the bottom again. You whimpered, but he kept giving you those teasing long licks until you had to let out a beg. "Please..." you moaned. You saw a flash of amusement in his eyes before he finally wrapped his lips around your small bundle of nerves and begin to suck. You cried out a little and gasped as you felt his finger find its way into your tight moist space. Without a thought, you reached down and took a handful of his long brown hair. He chuckled again which only added to the pleasure. 

As the pleasure intensified, you felt him add a second digit into your core, and your walls accepted the challenge squeezing him in return. Your swollen clit was getting more sensitive with every passing moment until finally, you cried out as you reached your climax; an explosion of pleasure more intense than any orgasm anyone had been able to give you. Your back arched, your thick thighs clamped around him, and he only seemed all the happier to bury himself further as your hips moved of their own accord to ride out your orgasm. 

Once it was finished, he climbed back up to meet you eye to eye, and in that moment, you could feel how hard he had been this whole time, as his bulge could be felt on you’re your thigh through his pants. Smiling while still catching your breath, you reached down to unzip his pants as he buried his face in your neck, but before the fun could continue, you heard your boyfriend's ringtone sounding from the counter once again, and even though you knew you had done nothing wrong, a wave of guilt passed over you. 

Why? Why was this guilt present? Hadn't this been his idea? 

"Wait..." you said as you stopped what you were doing. 

Arthur raised his head from your neck and gave you a look of concern. It was amazing how fast his eyes could go from devilishly lustful to genuine care. Letting out a sigh, you removed your hands from his pants and placed both of them on his biceps and gave them gentle strokes up and down. "I'm sorry," you said. Understanding immediately what that meant, he rolled from on top of you to lay aside of you on the bed. The tune of your boyfriend's ringtone came to a close and you took another deep breath. "I'm really sorry," you said, "I really want to, but..." 

He shook his head moving to lay on his side. "You don't have to explain yourself to me," he said, "You said no, so I won't ask any further questions." He then raised his eyebrows in a playful manner. "I'm just glad I got to make you squeal." 

As if he hadn't seen your body fully exposed, you felt yourself blush like that same shy girl who approached this man to thank him when he paid for your tab earlier. "Should I go?" he asked as he began to move to leave, but you reached out and placed your hand on his arm before he could go any further. "No, stay," you said, "I never said we couldn't cuddle." 

He smiled as he laid back down and enveloped you in his strong arms. You snuggled closer to him, and he rested his chin on top of your head. As you drifted off to sleep, you couldn't help but think that this open arrangement between you and your boyfriend may have been the best thing to ever happen to you.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader wakes up to Arthur making her breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit shorter than the other chapters, but I have big plans for future chapters. I hope you enjoy!

The morning after was definitely the most wonderful morning you had ever had. 

It began when you were awakened by the hearty aroma of breakfast foods. You rose slowly and wiped the grime out of your eyes before you remembered that you had a visitor. You spotted him in your kitchen area with his long hair pulled back in a bun and his back turned to you, and you found yourself nearly hypnotized by both the muscles on his shoulders and the large symbolic looking tattoo that covered most of his upper body. You nearly forgot to smooth out your bed head before he turned around. 

"Morning," he said turning with the sizzling frying pan and offering you what you would soon identify as his bad-boy-softy smirk. You watched as his tilted the pan slightly over a plate to allow the egg dish to slide out and land on it. He then picked it up and grabbed a smaller bowl filled with raspberries and blueberries and brought it to you. 

Your brows furrowed as he sat next to you on the bed and handed you the fluffy egg and spinach scramble with a hint of cheese on top. "You made me breakfast?" you asked. You were flattered and pleasantly surprised, but you couldn't hide the confusion from your tone. "Well, I thought it was only fair," he said leaning against your headboard and wrapping a strong arm around your shoulder, "After you offered me your hospitality and allowed me to stay the night." 

There was something about the way he acted so casual about doing nice things that you really liked. Like it just came natural to him rather than giving you the feeling he was going to want something in return. You got that same impression when he paid your tab the night before. 

"That's very sweet of you," you said and you felt him shrugging as you took a bite of the eggs. Instantly, you closed your eyes and felt as if you would melt into his chiseled body. They were so good! "Mmm....this is delicious!" You looked up at him and he gave you a proud grin. "You really didn't have to do this," you said. 

"Didn't have to, but doesn't mean I didn't want to," he said with a chuckle as you continued to enjoy what he made for you. Once you cleaned the plate, he took it and handed you the bowl of berries before standing to walk back to the kitchen to clean wash your plate. "Oh, you don't have to do that," you said as he began to run the water. 

"Nah, I got it," he said, "I made the mess, so I'll be the one to clean it up." 

Your lips curled. Leaning back on the headboard, you watched as his back muscles moved as he began washing the dishes. You could certainly get used to this. You popped the berries into your mouth as if it were popcorn and the simple act of him cleaning up was like a show to you. 

Once you were finished with the fruit, you stood with a bed sheet wrapped around you like a Greek toga to bring him the bowl. Upon reaching his side, he looked over to you and smiled. Putting the dishes down a moment to turn and place his hands on your hips before leaning down and giving you a soft, gentle kiss. You felt your breath catch in your chest again, and your eyelids grew heavy as you got that floaty feeling once again. You were beginning to wonder how you got to be so lucky to win the infatuation of this wonderful man. 

He broke the kiss only to ask you if you had any plans for the rest of the day, and for a moment, you had chased his lips. Before you could answer, your boyfriend's tone which was doing a very good job of becoming a mood killer sounded off from your bag that had remained on the counter from the night before. You took a deep breath and groaned. You did, in fact, have plans for the day. You were going to meet your boyfriend for lunch at one of his favorite restaurants. 

"Is that the bonehead?" he asked with slight humor in his tone. You couldn't help but smile at his chosen nickname for him. You nodded all the same. "We planned to have lunch today," you said. 

"Why don't you get cleaned up while I take care of the rest of this mess?" he asked. 

You agreed, but only under the condition that he make himself something to eat before cleaning everything up. 

***

As you stepped into the shower and turned the water on, memories of the night before and how he had touched and tasted you began to flood back into your mind, causing an ache to reawaken in between your legs, and the fact that he was on the other side of the door just casually eating his own breakfast and cleaning up dishes didn't help matters any. It was impossible not to get excited by even your own touch as you washed your body. You found yourself taking deep breaths and turning down the temperature of the water to keep hold of yourself. 

You emerged out of the bathroom wearing a simple sundress for the afternoon and he turned from cleaning the final dish to see you. His expression upon seeing your outfit was warm, and you suddenly felt like the prettiest woman he had ever seen. "I have to say," he said, "If I'm being completely honest, I'm a bit jealous of your bonehead." 

He approached you and placed his hands on your hips again. "Tell him that," you said reaching up to place your hands on his shoulders. 

"Want me to?" he asked. 

He seemed like he was joking, but something in his eyes was sincere. You laughed it off. "Not today," you said playfully. 

He kissed your forehead before removing his hands from you and heading towards the door. 

"Wait!" 

You cringed at how desperate you sounded, but you hated seeing him leave more than you initially knew you would. He turned and you felt your face flush. 

"Um..." you struggled to find proper words for what you wanted, "Call me, okay? I'd like to see you again." 

He smiled and approached you one last time to give you a deep romantic kiss, and you were just about ready to pull him back towards to bed, boyfriend be damned, but he broke the kiss. 

"I plan on it."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lunch with your boyfriend turns awkward when he realizes you're playing the game too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to leave the boyfriend nameless, so you can imagine any crappy boyfriend you've ever had in his place. :)

Your boyfriend was special. From the very beginning, you knew he was different from the rest.

Before meeting him, you saw yourself as an attractive woman. You had a cute face and had impeccable fashion sense, but your boyfriend was the one who also saw how special you were. He constantly showered you with compliments and wasn’t shy about pointing out that he saw how beautiful you were despite the way other men might overlook ‘your type’ of beauty. In the beginning, it was flattering, but even though you loved him, as the relationship continued, there was something about it that was starting to rub you the wrong way. You just couldn’t put your finger on it. There was just this feeling of agitation in the pit of your stomach every time he did it, and now that he had threatened to leave if he couldn’t sleep with other women, the thought of it made your blood boil.

You arrived at the restaurant first. Shortly after the hostess led you to a table, a waitress approached you and asked if you’d like anything to drink. You asked for just a glass of water and thanked her. She soon came back and asked if you were ready to order, and you thanked her but informed her you were waiting on someone and asked if she could come back. She smiled and assured you it was no problem, but when she came back the second time, you were embarrassed to say you were still waiting.

When he finally arrived, you glanced into your purse to spot your phone screen to see that he was over forty-five minutes late. He leaned down and kissed your cheek and sat down across from you. “Hey, babe,” he said, “Sorry I’m late. Did you order yet?”

“No,” you said simply, “I was waiting for you.”

He looked up from his menu and raised an eyebrow before looking back down at his options. What was with that look? And was he even going to offer an explanation for being late?

The waitress came back around offering you a smile. “You ready now?” she asked. Normally, you would have ordered the grilled cheese, soup, and salad combo, but because you were still feeling full from your hearty breakfast, you went with just a salad instead. He, again, raised his eyebrows before placing his own order. The waitress then collected your menus and went off to the kitchen.

“That’s a rather light order for you,” your boyfriend said.

It was a simple observation, but his tone suggested there was something much deeper than that. Did your order really warrant a comment?

“I had a big breakfast,” you said.

“When you knew we’d be meeting for lunch?”

You eyed him as you took a sip of your ice water. “It wasn’t exactly planned,” you said simply.

“Planned? What do you...”

You felt an odd mixture of both guilt and satisfaction as you watched the realization set in as he turned a few shades paler than his normal skin tone.

This was what he wanted, you silently reminded yourself, This was his idea. You’ve no reason to feel guilty.

...but you did.

“I see,” he said after an awkward period of silence. You wanted to be petty. You wanted to say something passive aggressive, but you couldn’t do it. It was unfortunate, but it was because you still loved him. Despite how much he hurt you, two years was far too long for you to instantly stop caring about his feelings.

More awkward silence followed. The two of you tried distracting yourselves; him with his phone, you with the straw of your drink, until finally, the waitress came with your orders. It was only when your stabbed a cherry tomato with your fork that he broke the silence.

“So, who is he?” he asked.

“_____, don’t,” you said, “We made ground rules, remember? We use protection and we don’t ask about the other’s partners.”

“You’re right, Y/N,” he said.

You simply nodded and started on your salad.

It ended up being a fairly silent lunch with only a few pleasantries shared about weather and going back to work the next day. When the waitress came back to collect your dirty dishes, she asked about dessert. Normally, you would pass it up, but you decided to treat yourself by ordering a slice of Snickers cheesecake, and although you didn’t look at him as you ordered it, you could feel your boyfriend’s judgemental eyes on you. He waited until the waitress left to speak.

“What’s the occasion?” he asked.

“Nothing...just feeling pretty good today,” you said, “It’s been a great weekend...I don’t know. I’m just feeling pretty happy.”

He replied with a “Hmmm...” but didn’t further elaborate.

You took your time with your dessert, enjoying and savoring every caramely, chocolatey, peanuty cream cheese bite. Since he had informed you that he wasn’t as physically attracted to you as you initially thought, you were very careful about the food you enjoyed in his presence, but today, it was as if he wasn’t even there. And when you closed your eyes as you indulged in the sweet treat, you couldn’t help but see Arthur again, looking at you with hungry, infatuated eyes. With that on your mind, you couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing in that very moment.

“Y/N?”

Your boyfriend’s voice broke the spell, and you looked down to see only crumbs on your plate. “I was just saying that it’s still a little early,” he said, “Do you want to see a movie?"

There really was no movie out that you wanted to see, but those annoying feelings of guilt were coming back to you. You hadn’t meant to think about the tall, dark, tatted and handsome man who not only spent the night, but stayed to make you breakfast that morning, but you couldn’t help it. You agreed to the movie only because a part of you felt guilty for fantasizing about him while on a date with your boyfriend.

When the lights went dark in the theater and your boyfriend placed his arm around your shoulders, you couldn’t help but think of how it felt to be wrapped in a stronger and much warmer embrace, and you didn’t mean to pretend it was Arthur sitting next to you rather than him....but you still did nonetheless. He leaned over to kiss you once or twice, and your mind automatically compared his kiss to Arthur’s. Arthur’s was more romantic and warm, while his felt more mechanical than it ever had before. Were his kisses always like that, or did it just seem like that now that you were kissed by a man like Arthur?

Your boyfriend kept his arm around you as you walked out of the theater, but you found it felt more awkward than normal. Since the two of you opened your relationship, he had touched you less. He hadn’t just kept the sexually intimate touches to a minimum, but also the sweet intimacies such as holding your hand and having his arm around you. All of a sudden, it was like he was reversing his personality back to the guy who hadn’t been honest with you about what he thought about your physical appearance.

He leaned over and whispered in your ear. “Wanna go back to my place?”

You cringed inside, but remained composed on the outside. “I’m a little tired,” you said.

“But it’s still early,” he replied.

It was, in fact, still quite early to head in for the day, but you found yourself exhausted keeping it together with him. Holding all of your opinions of this situation inside while trying not to think of Arthur while doing so was taking its toll on you.

“Yeah, but I’m tired,” you said raising your arm to call a cab, “I’m sure you can find something to do without me.”

You felt his shoulders slump as he removed his arm from you, and you suddenly felt freer. A cab pulled up to the curb, and you approached it, but not without him resting a hand on your shoulder before you could enter it.

“You know I love you, right?” he asked.

“Sure I do,” you said, “I’ll call you later.”

With that, you gave him a peck on the lips before entering the cab. You barely gave him a second glance as the vehicle pulled off.

On your way home, you felt your phone buzz in your purse. Rolling your eyes, you were prepared to see your boyfriend’s name on the screen, but your attitude perked up immediately upon being pleasantly surprised to see Arthur’s.

You couldn’t swipe your screen fast enough to read his text.

“You busy next week?”

You bit your lip to hold in a squeal. You had trusted that he would contact you sooner or later, but you didn’t expect sooner, and you certainly didn’t expect he’d already want to make plans for the following weekend.

You tried to play it cool with your reply.

“Not as of yet.”

You smiled as you saw the ellipses indicating he was working on a reply. Your heart jumped when you saw his next reply pop up.

“I want to take you to my place,” he said, “but it’s a bit of a day trip. Up for it?”

It was amazing how he was able to pick your mood up after such a crummy date. You wanted to scream.

“I’d love to,” you said still trying to appear composed in your texts, “It’s a date.”

You smiled as you watched the ellipses again before seeing his reply.

“Let’s meet at the same place for breakfast on Saturday.”

You agreed and leaned back feeling as if you were going to melt into the seat.

You knew it was too early to think you were falling for him, but you couldn’t remember being this excited to see anyone, not even your boyfriend in the early stages of your relationship.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader meets Arthur at the place they met the week before and learns a little more about the waitress that serves them. Arthur then surprises reader with a thoughtful gift before they head off to his place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little short, but hopefully sweet. I'll be taking a break from this fic for a little bit. I just want to make sure I don't put myself under any pressure, and I want to make sure every chapter I give you guys is written in a way that continues to bring you joy.

It gave you a bit of satisfaction when Friday came, and you got to tell your boyfriend that you had plans for the weekend. 

“Plans?” he asked. 

“Yep!" 

"Oh, so…we won’t be going out on Sunday then either, will we?" 

"Maybe next weekend,” you said. 

He agreed, but you could tell he was uncomfortable by it. You gathered he figured out you were going out with someone else and spending the weekend with them. After telling him you loved him, you ended the call. For the first time, you felt no guilt about wandering outside your relationship. Maybe…just maybe, you were over it.

 

The next day came, and you picked your outfit carefully. Arthur had asked you midweek what you thought of motorcycles, and you informed him you had never been on one before. He advised you to wear long pants and boots if you had them. 

It took a while for it to sink in; you were going to be going on some adventure with a sexy tatted up man for the weekend! Was this actually happening to you? 

Slipping on some jeans that generously hugged the curves of your body, boots you bought the very day he told you you’d be traveling with him on a motorcycle, and a cute top, you headed out and drove towards the little café pub you had met him just the week before.

 

Upon your arrival, you were greeted by the familiar face of the young woman from before who had taken your order. Her eyes lit up when she saw you. 

“You’re here!” she said, “You must be looking for Arthur!" 

She led you to the very booth where you had vented to him about your boyfriend, and you were surprised to see he was already there waiting for you. You checked your wristwatch to make sure you weren’t late and he had been waiting for you, but you were actually several minutes early. It then occurred to you that you were used to your boyfriend arriving late to dates, and you just weren’t used to your date being first.

 

He looked up and gave you that smirk that had made you melt when you first met, and you sat across from him suddenly feeling the butterflies flutter in your stomach that had been resting since the week before. 

"I’ll give you guys a few to decide what you want,” the waitress said before giving you a wink and walking off and leaving you alone with beautiful man sitting across from you.

 

“She seems really sweet,” you said. 

“Olivia? Yeah, she’s a good kid,” he said, “This is her family’s place, and she’s been working here for the past few years. Her parents are set to retire soon. They plan on handing it over to her and her older brother when they do." 

You smiled. "It sounds like you’ve grown close to them,” you said. 

“They’re like family.”

 

It now made a little more sense how happy she seemed the week before that Arthur took an interest in you. She had said that he didn’t really talk much and often stayed to himself when he dined there, so you imagined it must have been pretty exciting for her to see him show interest in someone as it would for any family. 

Olivia came back around a few minutes later with her notepad ready. You ordered a French toast combo that included a fruit salad and orange juice, while Arthur ordered protein pancakes and an egg white scramble.

 

It was so strange the contrast between this date and the one with your boyfriend the week before. When you had ordered the cheesecake the week before, you felt like you were kind of rebelling, but with Arthur, you didn’t feel like you were rebelling at all. You felt normal. He didn’t even so much as raise an eyebrow at your order. And when your food was brought to you, you felt no reluctance in enjoying your meal. As you ate, he asked you a little more about your job and how your week was. When you asked him the same, he informed you that most of his work took place at a lighthouse.

 

“That’s where we’re headed today,” he said, “I pretty much live at work. It will be easier to understand when we get there.”

 

Once you were finished, Arthur paid the tab up front while you headed to the ladies room to freshen up. After a few minutes of checking yourself in the mirror, you were surprised to see Olivia enter through the door through the reflection. She wore a bit of a shy smile as you turned to greet her.

 

“Hey…” she said softly.

 

The way she looked at you took you aback. She was looking at you with both admiration and maybe a bit of intimidation. You certainly never expected this, especially from a woman someone like your boyfriend would call “hotter.”

 

“Olivia, right?” you asked.

 

“Yep!” she said, “I know this is going to seem pretty weird…like, ‘Ah, my waitress just followed me into the bathroom! What a creep!’”

 

Your brows furrowed. “I wasn’t thinking that at all,” you said.

 

She laughed awkwardly. “Oh, okay then, we’re good,” she said, “but I did want to talk to you.”

 

“Oh..well, alright.”

 

Her smile widened a bit before she continued. “I’ve known Arthur a while, and he’s really a sweet guy, but you’ve probably figured that out.”

 

You smiled in return. “I have,” you said.

 

“I have seen so many women flirt with him, but he never really gave any of them a second glance,” she said, “He was polite in his rejection, but I never saw him leave with anyone until last week with you. I don’t really know you, but I think you’re a nice person too…I guess what I’m trying to say is, I have never seen him smitten by anyone like this, and I hope that things go well…just don’t hurt him okay?”

 

You were stunned by her request. If anyone was going to be hurt, you were certain it was going to be you. Not that you were lacking any confidence that you deserved to have an intimate relationship with Arthur, but because you were the one who was used to getting hurt. Even before your current crummy boyfriend, you had been given the short end of the stick in some relationships leading up to him. 

“I don’t think we have to worry about that,” you said.

 

She responded by grinning and walking towards you to throw her arms around you. She gave you a good, warm hug. “I’m just so happy you guys are together,” she said pulling away gently.

 

You smiled awkwardly, deciding it wasn’t the best time to tell her you weren’t really together, even though you found yourself wishing more and more that you were. She just looked so happy for the two of you, and you didn’t want to crush her spirit. 

When you met him outside, you were greeted by the sight of him leaning against his bike with his arms crossed. It was something you’d expect to see on the cover of a Men’s Health Magazine; “Arthur Spills His Secrets to Getting Ripped! 15 Minute Plan to Get That Beach Bod!”

 

When he saw you, he removed the backpack slung around his shoulder. “Got something for you,” he said as you approached him. You arched your brow as he first handed you a helmet. He then pulled out a folded black leather jacket and held it up. You figured you must have looked pleasantly stunned, because he smirked proudly.

 

It was cute! All black, with a new leather smell, and a small crimson rose embroidered on the left shoulder. You immediately turned so he could slip it on you and you zipped it up. Your heart was fluttering. Even the men who came before your current boyfriend didn’t think to buy you anything like this. “Thank you!” you said, “It’s so cute. I love it!”

 

You grinned up at him and he took the helmet back for a moment. “We’re going to be traveling up the highway along the coast,” he said, “It’s a smart idea to have a biker jacket anyway, but I don’t want you catching a cold from that ocean breeze.” He chuckled a little before leaning over to place a kiss on your forehead before putting your helmet on your head. “You ready to go?” he then asked.

 

You felt your face warm up from his little signs of affection and nodded your head. Smiling, he threw a leg over his bike and revved it up before handing you the backpack to put on. You stood there a moment just in awe of how perfect a picture it was, and you had to remind yourself that this was really happening to you. You were going to be going on a day trip with this beautiful man who treated you like you’ve always dreamed of being treated. This wasn’t an imaginary fantasy in your head. This was the realest and most wonderful thing that had happened to you, and to think it came from your boyfriend’s selfishness. The boyfriend whose activities outside your relationship you found you cared less and less about the more you spent time with this man.

 

Arthur looked over his shoulder and nodded over to you, signaling for you to hop on. You didn’t hesitate to do just that. “Hold on tight!” he said raising his voice over the purring of his bike. You gladly wrapped your arms around his middle, and without realizing it, you yourself let out a soft purr-like sound upon feeling his tight abs through his thin tank. The muscles tightened when the bike pulled forward and so did your hold as you laid the side of your head against his back, your mind already wandering over all the things you wanted to do with him when you reached his place.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader and Arthur reach their destination, and she is treated to a beautiful view, wondrous creatures, and some affectionate touches to whet her appetite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is somewhat of a short chapter. I had originally intended to include some smut here, but decided to dedicate my next chapter to the smut to accommodate those who would rather skip over it. It does start to get the tiniest bit steamy towards the end.

During the course of the ride along the beautiful coast, you kept finding yourself thinking that at any moment, you were going to wake up and this was all going to be a dream. You were convinced that at some point, you were going to find yourself in your studio alone while your boyfriend was out enjoying himself. But, fortunately, at no point did you wake up. You were already wide awake, holding onto the beautiful man who made you feel gorgeous and who had pleasured you both emotionally and sexually. When you reached your destination, you decided it was high time to accept you were awake and just enjoy the hell out of this for however long it lasted.

 

His home was a humble sized house next to a tall lighthouse on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Upon arrival, he helped you off of his bike and asked if you were afraid of heights. When you assured him you would be fine, he walked you to the edge before resting a protective arm over your shoulder as you looked over the horizon at the ocean. Your heart was racing, not from fear of falling, but with just how beautiful the coast looked. The sand was white; almost like snow, and it glistened in the sunlight, and you had never seen the ocean look so blue before and it sparkled on the surface.

 

“This is where you live?!” you asked in awe. He chuckled a little, seeming to be getting a kick out of the expression on your face, for when you tore your eyes away from the view and looked up at him, he was giving you that signature smirk that turned your knees into gelatin. With the breeze flowing through his long hair and with his strong arm holding on to you, you felt like you were on the cover of a romance novel, and it was that moment he reached down with his free hand and lifted your chin slightly before leaning in to press his lips against yours. Eyelids heavy and now completely lost, you leaned into the kiss, causing him to move his arms to your waist and pull you closer. It was all almost too perfect; your eyes closed, his arms around you, the sound of ocean and seagulls in the background. You were in trouble. It was going to be very difficult to go back to normal after whatever this was came to an end. This was setting your standards to new heights. 

The kiss could have lasted for hours, and it would still be too short. When he broke the kiss, you had to stop yourself from chasing his lips. Smiling, he nodded in the direction of the ocean. “Look,” he murmured. 

 

At first, you didn’t see what he was trying to show you, but then, to your surprise, you saw the dark “y” shape emerge from the ocean before splashing through the surface. You gasped. “Was that…?”

 

You looked up at him again and he laughed before you looked at the ocean again to see a family of dorsal fins rise before hiding underneath the surface again. Arthur moved behind you and wrapped his arms around your shoulders before leaning in close to your ear. “Listen carefully,” he said softly, “You can hear their song.” 

Closing your eyes, you focused your ears on the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, and it didn’t take long for you to hear the heavenly intonations of the beautiful wildlife in the ocean. “I can hear them,” you said softly as if you were afraid you would disrupt their song.

 

The two of you stood there for a while, listening to the melody the wonderful creatures gifted the two of you with. Ever so often, he’d lean down and kiss your cheek, and every once in a while, he’d give you an affectionate squeeze. 

You were always a romantic and craved for a story book scene to happen to you, but after disappointment after disappointment, part of you gave up the idea it ever would, and your current boyfriend hadn’t been doing a good job of convincing you to keep up any hope, but now here you were. This was the most romantic experience you had ever had. It surpassed all expectations.

 

All it took was for Arthur to lower his kisses to your neck for the craving you had for him since the week before to stir inside of you. It was such a simple action, but feeling his lips make contact with the curve of your neck and feeling his beard tickle your skin brought back memories of how his beard felt on your inner thighs. Turning your head as he continued to trail kisses along the length of your neck, your eyes met his crystal blue irises.

 

“I’d love to see the inside of your home,” you said.

 

He wore an expression that was both knowing and victorious. 

 

He knew exactly what he was doing.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader doesn't see too much of Arthur's house, since the two are way too busy indulging in each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: LOTS AND LOTS OF SMUT IN THIS CHAPTER! ;)  
> SKIP THIS CHAPTER IF YOU PREFER NOT TO SEE IT!

When you and Arthur entered his small cottage, the two of you, at first, tried to do a normal tour of the house. 

"There's really not much to it," he said closing the door behind you. 

"It's bigger than my place," you laughed a little as the two removed your boots. He smiled and wrapped an arm around your shoulder. 

There was a living area with a couch and a chair with a small television sitting on a stand. Nearby was a humble kitchen area that wasn't much different than yours, and on the opposite side of the living area was a room that was cracked open enough for you to see the corner of Arthur's bed. Just the idea of being in it with him was enough to excite you, and he seemed to sense it, for his hand moved from your shoulder, along your side, and to your hip. You couldn't help but shiver. How did a simple touch from this man trigger such a lustful desire from you? 

You looked up at him, and turned your body so you could face him completely, and he smirked as his other hand found the opposite hip. Wasting no time, you stood on your toes to level yourself enough to meet his lips, and he met you half way; removing one of his hands from your hips to tip up your chin gently and leaning down to give you a slow, passionate, and longing kiss. He groaned as if indulging in something sweet that he had been craving but restraining himself from. 

Your arms traveled almost of their own accord and hooked themselves around his shoulders and neck, and you pulled him closer, and he met your body with ease, and you felt your excitement pooling between your legs as the softness of your breasts made contact with his firm, toned chest. You couldn't hold in your moan. 

Perhaps if the two of you were not so lost in your lust, you would have made it to the bedroom, but it just so happened the couch was closer. You broke the kiss only to gently pull him by the collar of his T-shirt to the couch. He followed you as you walked backwards with an intense and hungry stare as he did. Once you reached your chosen destination, you fell back and he happily landed comfortably and gently on top of you. His knee between your legs. Smiling, he brushed a few strands of hair away from your face and went in for another hungry kiss. As you continued to share your passion for one another, you could feel his own arousal begin to push against your inner thigh through his pants. 

You shrugged your shoulders to remove the cute jacket he had given you. It was just a shame you could not have hung it up nicely before the two of you began to get busy, but you'd worry about that later. He sat up a moment only to remove his jacket and shirt and toss them to the side. The sound that came from your lips as he revealed his tatted up chiseled abs and broad chest was almost embarrassing, but he only laughed as he went down to continue feasting upon your lips. You went to work on your own top as he did, and you were glad you wore your red lace. 

Upon removal of your top, he sat up again as if to take in what you had to offer. You watched as his nostrils flared, which seemed to awaken a new confidence in you. Feeling quite forward, you took his large hands and led them to your breasts, which his gladly squeezed, his member pulsed against your thigh, and your inner walls flinched. 

You needed him, and you needed him right then and there. Your hands slid down his upper body, causing you to shiver before reaching the button of his pants and undoing it before pulling down his zipper. Her removed one of his hands from your breasts to do the same to your pants. You found yourself desperate for this to happen. If this was a lucid sex dream, you wanted it to happen before you suddenly woke up. 

It didn't take long for you to find his length. It was quite difficult to miss. You wrapped your fingers around it and began to stroke slowly, and as you did that, he let out a groan as you could feel his fingers traveling past the string of your panties and finding that sensitive area where your legs met. It was similar to last time; he tested your wetness at the slit first before dipping his fingers between your lips. You shivered again. With two fingers, he outlined the opening of your core for a bit. Teasing you and laughing between his own groans when it caused you to whimper. Playfully furrowing your brow, you stopped your strokes. As if getting the message, his fingers suddenly found your clit and began to do their work with small gentle circles. His free hand began to pull down the straps of your bra. When your breasts were exposed, he immediately began to show them affection, wrapping his lips around one sensitive nipple to tease it with his tongue while he used his fingers on the other breast to act in a similar fashion. 

The two of you only stopped what you were doing as the desire built up to remove your pants to go all the way, but it wasn't until you saw him fully naked with your hand wrapped around his length that you began to feel that pesky feeling of guilt once again. 

Dammit, ______, you thought. 

Arthur's brows furrowed with concern. "You okay, Y/N?" he asked. 

You were more than okay. You were being taken to new heights of pleasure that you didn't even know existed, and you hadn't even gotten to the actual sex with him yet. 

"I'm great actually....it's just..." you sighed trying to find the right words, "You're making me feel really good, but I don't know if I can...well..." 

You felt your cheeks heat up in a flush. "I don't think I can go all the way...not just yet." 

You didn't know why you expected him to be upset or disappointed, but he only gave you an understanding smile as he began to slide his hold away from your breast. You stopped him immediately by catching his wrist. "I said 'all the way,'" you said, "I didn't say you had to stop this, though." 

You then began your strokes again, causing another hungry groan to escape him, as he dipped his fingers into your folds again to play with your clit. The power of the pesky guilt you were feeling wasn't strong enough to stop you from enjoying at least this; these powerful touches that were giving you more pleasure than your boyfriend ever did. At one point, you felt Arthur's finger push into you with his thumb resting on your clit, which caused you to cry out. Your walls clamped around him, and it felt so good, you were forgetting to pleasure him. He made do by rubbing himself against your thick thigh. More gruff groans fell from his mouth as he looked you intensely in the eyes. Knowing he was getting that kind of pleasure from your body only added to yours. He added another finger and you were close to screaming, and soon, you were both coming undone. Your walls closed around his fingers and you felt his hot orgasm release on your thigh and hip as he let out an ecstatic grunt. You rode out your orgasm until it played its course and he continued his pumps until you fell limp underneath him. He remained laying on top of you with is face buried in your neck, tickling your skin with his beard as he gave you tired, yet sweet kisses as you caught your breath. 

You now realized that this certainly was not a dream. The orgasm you had was enough to have woken you up. So now, you had only one thought left to make of this whole thing: At some point after agreeing to this open relationship, you had died and gone to Heaven, and despite your lingering guilt, Arthur was everything you deserved for being a good girl your whole life.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur meets Reader's boyfriend and has a lot to say, but does his best to play nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing from the boyfriend's POV was very difficult, because I really don't like people who think the way he does. Luckily, I had more fun writing from Arthur's POV.  
> There is some fatphobia here on the boyfriend's part, so please proceed with caution if that is a trigger for you.

He just couldn't understand. He had done everything right...well, not everything. He probably should have told Y/N what he was doing before he went on and made a couple of profiles online to flirt with hotter women, but at least he told her about it and never really cheated on her. He was straight forward about what he wanted, and he got her to agree to this open arrangement. Overall, he was a decent guy, so why was he not having any luck? None of the women he talked to online seemed interested in doing anything but flirting over chats, and when he went out to meet women, they treated him as if he were infected with the plague.   
"Is there anything else I can get you?" the waitress asked him, "Or would you like your bill?" 

He had seen the hot waitress from outside as he drove by the restaurant, and she was the only reason he went in. 

"You can give me your number," he said eying her name tag, "...Olivia." 

He was trying to be smooth, but her brows furrowed. "Excuse me?" 

"I was just wondering if I could get your number," he said, "You're a really pretty girl, and I'd like to take you out sometime." 

"Sorry, I have a boyfriend," Olivia said. 

"That's alright," he said, "I have a girlfriend." 

It was now he knew he had no chance, for she could not hide the disgust she wore on her face. "I'll go ahead and get you the bill, sir," she said before walking off. 

He just sat there dumbfounded. How on earth was Y/N getting dates and spending weekends with other men while he was striking out each and every single time he talked with another woman? He was beginning to regret proposing this idea to Y/N. Had he known she would be the one getting all the luck, he would not have even entertained it, but what he couldn't figure out was how. How was she getting dates? She was cute, of course, but she wasn't exactly ideal. She was heavier than he usually liked, but she was nice to him, and he felt like she devoted a lot of her time to him, so he couldn't just give her up. He just wanted more, but he didn't like the idea of another man coming into the picture. At the very least, he didn't think Y/N could get anyone better looking than him. He, of course, wasn't exactly a Calvin Klein model, but Y/N probably wasn't finding herself any of those to fool around with.   
Olivia soon came back with the bill doing her best to avoid giving him the stink eye, but failing miserably. He paid it promptly, wanting to get out of there before embarrassing himself further. 

As _____ ventured outside to the parking lot, he was greeted by a scene from his worst nightmares. At first, he didn't think anything of it. He saw a well built, tall, and dark handsome man with long dark hair and tattoos all over pulling up towards the entrance of the restaurant on a motorcycle with a passenger holding onto him. It didn't seem at all unusual, until he took a second glance and saw that his passenger was a rather chubby woman. The first question to come to mind was what on earth was a man like that doing with a woman like her if he could do so much better? He stood there watching hoping it wasn't too obvious he was staring at them, and it only got worse. So much worse.   
The man swung his leg from around the bike before helping the woman off. She took of her helmet, and _____ felt like he got a good punch in the gut. 

Y/N?! 

He stood there dumbfounded. What the hell was going on, and how did she score a guy like that? His eyes traveled back to him, and the more he studied the man, the more he realized that this man was exactly Y/N's type. She never outright said it over the course of their relationship, but he wasn't blind to her lingering eyes when they watched action or romantic flicks, and she saw the way she glanced at certain men when they were out together. He never really minded, since he was convinced that even if she tried, she could never get one of them. 

Apparently, he was wrong. 

When he saw the man lean in to give his girlfriend a kiss and her reach up to hook her arms around his neck as he placed his hands on her lower back to pull her in closer, he realized how familiar the two must have gotten. He couldn't stop himself from shouting out her name. The two turned to look in the direction they heard her name called, and his eyes were suddenly locked with the man's, and he felt completely helpless as they began to approach him. 

*** 

"That's my boyfriend," Y/N said softly.   
"Oh, that's the bonehead..."   
"Shhhh...." she shushed as they began to walk towards him. 

Arthur would do his best to be polite in his presence, but sometimes he couldn't help himself. Minding his manners right now was going to be difficult, especially now that he was face to face with the guy who didn't think the beautiful, sweet, and smart woman he had spent a wonderful weekend with was worthy of his respect. 

"_____, hey," Y/N said when the distance between the three was closed, "I didn't expect to see you here." 

"I could say the same," _____ said looking up at Arthur, barely even paying attention to her. 

Doing his best to be civil, Arthur kept an arm around Y/N's shoulders, but held out his free hand to shake. _____took it, but it was a mechanical greeting between the two. "Arthur," he said, "Good to meet you, bro."   
_____just nodded and finally tore his attention away from him and looked at his girlfriend.   
"We still up for next weekend?" he asked.   
"If you want," Y/N said, "You don't have any plans?"   
_____ was quiet a second or two, but that second or two was enough to cause a smirk to form across Arthur's lips. He could tell this guy was not having any luck in the dating department and that he had completely screwed himself. "None as of yet," he said finally.   
"Oh, well, I guess we're on then," Y/N said. 

They had a few more awkward exchanges before Y/N looked up at Arthur and told him she wanted to use the lady's room before leaving. Her boyfriend jumped at the opportunity to pull her into his arms and give her a kiss as soon as he removed his arm from her shoulders. "I'll call you later, okay?" he said.   
She gave him a smile and nodded before heading inside. "Don't worry," Arthur said once she was out of earshot, "I'll wait for her."   
_____gave him a nod, but judging by the expression on his face, he could tell the guy was miffed. He turned to walk away, but Arthur had more to say now that Y/N was inside.   
"Hey bro, got a minute?"   
_____turned to hear what he had to say.   
"I gotta tell you, man," he said with a smile, "If I had a woman like Y/N, I wouldn't even think to let anyone else touch her. I guess I'm just grateful the two of you got this open arrangement. Lucky me, huh?"   
It was a bit petty, but it felt good to be able to look the bonehead in the eyes and tell him what a complete idiot he was. _____just nodded again. "I guess so," he said before turning to walk away.   
"You have a goodnight, bro," Arthur then called out getting the last word. 

***   
To say he was upset was an understatement. This was a huge mistake, but how could he have known that Y/N would score with a guy like that?   
Obviously, the man was using her. Why settle for Y/N when he could have his choice of women?   
As he drove home, his mind wandered and searched all corners for ways to justify his astonishment and anger. Then, somehow, someway, he came to the conclusion that he had wronged Y/N. He should have appreciated her and showed her how grateful he was to have her in his life, and now she was led into the arms of a man who so clearly had ugly intentions and would hurt her more than he ever could.   
He decided right then and there that it was time to end this open arrangement before Y/N got hurt really bad.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N's boyfriend calls during her lunch break to voice his concerns over her relationship with Arthur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...yeah. Boyfriend is going to further prove how much of a bonehead he is in this chapter. Some fatphobia, emotional, and mental manipulation/abuse occur here on the boyfriend's part. Please proceed with caution if these are triggers for you.

You received a call from________the day after during your lunch break at work. 

“Hey, Y/N,” he said when you answered, “You busy right now? I’d like to talk to you about something.” 

“Yeah, I’m on my break right now. What’s up?” 

 

You heard him take a deep breath, and you began to feel anxiety stirring in the pit of your stomach. He didn’t call just to say hi. He called to hurt you. You had a strange knee jerk urge to end the call without a single word before he began talking, but you managed to keep your cool. 

 

“I want to talk about last night,” he said, “About that guy I saw you with.” 

“Arthur?” you asked, “What about him?” 

“I don’t like him.” 

 

A scoff fell from your lips, but that anxious feeling within you remained. “Okay,” you said, “Does it really matter, though?” 

“Yes, Y/N, it matters.” 

There was a hint of venom that you had never heard in his tone before. He was angry, and right now, you could feel your own anger begin to bubble up. “How so?” you asked, “I don’t ask you about the women you’ve been seeing.” 

 

He fell silent. 

 

“________? Are you still there?” you asked. 

“This isn’t about me,” he said, “I’m worried about you. I’m worried about what this guy’s intentions are.” 

“Arthur has been a gentleman,” you said, “He makes me feel beautiful and he respects all of my wishes. There is no need to feel worried about anything.” 

“Have you slept with him?” he asked. 

The question was so blunt it felt like a punch in the gut. 

“Does it matter?” you asked, “You’re breaking one of the boundaries we both set. You’re asking questions about the person I’ve been with.” 

“Person? You’ve only been with him?” 

The question felt strange, but you could have sworn _________ let out a sigh of relief, or maybe you imagined it. 

“Yes,” you said, “I don’t see why it matters, but yes. He’s the only person.” 

“And have you slept with him?” 

“Not that it’s any of your business, but no,” you said finally. You didn’t bother telling him the other things you did with him. 

“Then it’s exactly what I’ve suspected,” he said. He suddenly sounded concerned, but it didn’t feel genuine. “Arthur wants to stay around long enough to sleep with you. I don’t want you to feel hurt, Y/N, but it’s the truth. Men like Arthur know how to put on a nice façade until they get what they want, but as soon as you give that to him, he’s going to hurt you.” 

You suddenly felt the need to jump to Arthur’s defense. No one had made you feel more appreciated than him, and you would not sit there and listen to him try to bad mouth his intentions. 

“I think we’re done here,” you said. 

“Y/N, I know it hurts, but look at us,” ________ said with a softer tone, “We’re not exactly an A-list couple with looks to kill, and Arthur looks like he belongs on a Men’s Health magazine cover. Guys like him get bored and prey on sweet women like you.” 

 

His words cut deep, not because you believed him because he said it, but rather because no matter what you did, there had always been that underlying doubt about yourself even before you met him or Arthur. Before you could say anything, ________ continued. “I don’t want you to be hurt, but this can only end in one of three ways,” he said, “One: You cut things off with him, and spare yourself the grief. Two: You give him what he wants, and he ghosts you. Or Three: You keep putting off giving him sex and he comes to his senses and finds someone who is more in his league. I don’t want to tell you what to do, but I also don’t want to get hurt.” 

 

The way he sounded as he spoke was supposed to sound sympathetic and concerning, but the only word that came to your mind to describe it was “slimy.” Still, you couldn’t help yourself. What if he was right? What if Arthur was just using you? And what if________was the best you could really get? 

 

There was only one way to know if anything he was saying was accurate. 

 

“I’ve gotta get back to work,” you said. 

 

“Hey, honey,” ________ said, “I know this has been hard for you, but here’s the deal. I’m willing to just forget about this whole open arrangement if you end things with Arthur, okay? We’ll pretend like it didn’t happen and go back to the way things were.” 

 

“Bye, ________,” you said before ending the call. 

 

You sat there in your breakroom quietly just staring at your screen until you were startled by the sound of someone else entering. You looked up to see a coworker smile and wave before heading to the fridge to pick out their lunch. You smiled awkwardly at them before looking back down at your phone and finding Arthur in your contacts. “Hey, Arthur,” you texted, “I need to talk to you about something. Can we meet up tonight?” 

You picked at your salad for a bit before your phone buzzed. “Sure thing. Name the time and place. There’s something I need to talk to you about as well.” 

For a moment, all of your anger and anxiety were forgotten and replaced with curiosity. What could he have to talk to you about? 

You put your phone back into your purse once you two agreed to meet at the same restaurant and you smiled to yourself as you got ready to go back to work. For some reason, you had a good feeling about the night ahead. Maybe it was simply because after the conversation with ________, you felt the only logical thing to do was go all the way and sleep with Arthur, just to prove ________ wrong about him, but something deep down told you good things were about to happen that were much bigger than that.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur reveals a life changing secret to Reader.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have two more chapters planned for this fic, but I don't want to reveal too much about my plans, because I don't want to spoil anything.  
> Hope you enjoy! :)

You walked into the restaurant to see Arthur there waiting for you once again, and when he looked up to see you, you saw him smile as he stood up to greet you. Upon walking over, he wrapped his strong arms around you and kissed the top of your head. After the toxic conversation with ________, it was just what you needed, but even as you returned his embrace, that small seed of doubt was still planted firmly in your mind.  
The two of you sat down, and as soon as you were comfortable, a beaming Olivia approached you ready to take your order. Not believing the two of you would be there long, you ordered a small appetizer. Arthur must have thought the same, for he just ordered a beer.  
“You wanted to talk to me about something?” he asked as Olivia walked away.  
You bit your lip. What was there to say? You weren’t going to straight out tell him that you planned to sleep with him that night just to see if he would stick around or disappear like ________ said he would. “You go first,” you said.  
Arthur’s brows furrowed slightly. “Everything alright?” he asked, “You seem a little off.”  
“Oh, what I have to say can wait a little,” you said, “I mostly just wanted to see you.”  
Your heart was racing. You hated lying to him. Yes, it was true you wanted to see him again. Since meeting him, you always wanted to see him, but the whole truth was weighing down on you.  
He didn’t push you, even though you felt that he probably could pick up you weren’t telling him everything. His lips curled slightly before speaking. “I haven’t told you everything there is to know about me,” he said.  
“Well, you’re not an axe murderer, right?” you asked trying to lighten up the mood.  
He chuckled. “No, nothing like that,” he said, “but the more I see you, the more I think you should be let in.”  
You felt guilt begin to stir in the pit of your stomach. He made it sound like he was going to reveal something huge, and you couldn’t even share with him the conversation you had with your boyfriend earlier that day, but you did your best to push it aside.  
“Alright,” you said, “so tell me.”  
It was then Olivia came back with his beer and your appetizer. “Anything else I can get for you?”  
“I’m good,” you said.  
Arthur smiled and lifted his drink to her.  
“Okay,” Olivia said with a giddy smile, “Just holler if you need me!”  
She walked off leaving you alone with Arthur again. “So?” you said.  
He took a swig of his beer before answering. “I think it’s better to show you,” he said. 

*** 

Instead of heading out on his motorcycle or with your car, Arthur walked you down to the beach. Your mind was wandering through endless possibilities as to what his big secret could possibly be. It was only when you reached the edge of the water that he rubbed the back of his neck and spoke. “I figured you’d never believe me if I told you,” he said lifting his shirt over his head and tossing it aside, “Wait here.”  
You nodded with furrowed brows as he began to descend into the water. What was he doing? If he would have told you he wanted to go for a swim, you would have brought a swimsuit.  
He continued on until he was waist deep with his back turned to you. Normally, you would have marveled at those beautiful tatted shoulder muscles, but now you were worried he lost his mind. “Arthur,” you said as the waves crashed against his body and he didn’t move, “Is this a joke, because if it is, it’s not fun--”  
You were cut off by the sounds of high pitched squeals, and then you saw three dorsal fins circling him. “Arthur!” you shouted, “Watch out!”  
But instead of witnessing a shark attack, you saw a bottle nosed dolphin peak its head out from the surface of the water. Its wet silver skin glistening in the moonlight as Arthur lifted a hand to pet it on the head. He then turned slightly to meet your stunned expression with a smirk. As if in a trance, you found yourself pulled in by both the dolphins and that look on Arthur’s face, and you began your descend into the water as well, unfazed that your clothes were going to be soaking wet.  
The dolphins moved aside in order to let you get close to Arthur, and as soon as the distance was closed between the two of you, he took your hand and guided it towards one of the dolphins. “They won’t hurt you,” he said softly as if picking up on your cautious wonder. You allowed yourself to touch the dolphin, and upon feeling the smooth wet texture of it, you found yourself petting it instinctively. The dolphin cooed approvingly.  
“So...are you some sort of animal communicator or psychic?” you asked.  
“There’s a lot more to it,” he said, “Would you believe you were in the presence of royalty? A king?”  
You turned your attention from the dolphin to Arthur. You feasted your eyes upon his face, his body, the tattoos. “Well, figuratively speaking, sure,” you said managing to get a little humor in, “Are you about to tell me that you are secretly royalty?”  
You didn’t think anything more could surprise you until he confirmed what you suggested.  
“Ocean royalty to be exact.”  
You stopped touching the dolphin and froze. He was joking. He had to be joking.  
As if picking up your thoughts, he continued. “Remember the whales at the lighthouse?” he asked, “I called them over so you could see them.”  
You shook your head. He was pulling your leg. He had to be, but then, in the distance, you could hear their song again. The dolphins suddenly retreated making way for something to nuzzle at your elbow.  
A seal!  
It barked like a dog, practically begging to be pet. You complied.  
There was no denying it. Arthur was telling the truth. You looked up at him to see he wore an unsure expression, as if waiting to see what you had to say. Your eyes began to burn as a lump formed in your throat. You couldn’t hold your emotions in any longer and began to cry.  
His brows furrowed again as he reached over to cup the side of your face and wipe away a tear with his thumb.  
He had been keeping this big secret from just about everyone, and he let you of all people in on it. And here you were afraid to tell him about the conversation you had had with your dumb boyfriend.  
“Are you alright?” he asked.  
“________ got into my head today,” you said, “He called today to tell me that you were probably using me and that as soon as you got what you wanted from me, you were going to leave, and I let part of myself believe it.”  
It was then Arthur cupped the other side of your face and leaned forward to press his lips against yours, and suddenly, as if by magic, you relaxed and wrapped your arms around him. All your worries seemed to be erased in that moment.  
“You should know better than to listen to that bonehead,” he said mumbling against your lips, “I continue to get what I want from you every time I see you. Your smile. Your laugh. It’s all a man could want.”  
You blinked through your tears searching his face for any sign of deception, but saw none.  
“I have to tell you the truth,” you then said, “I wanted to see you tonight, because I wanted to sleep with you just to see if he was right or not, and part of me was afraid this would be the last night I saw you, because I was scared he was right.”  
He chuckled in response. “Well,” he said, “I’m very much up for that, but it won’t be the last time you see me. Not by a long shot.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader finally let's go of all of her doubts and allows herself to fully enjoy the time she has with Arthur with no guilt whatsoever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOTS OF SMUT IN THIS CHAPTER! I was not intending on writing this much smut, but seeing as how this is the second to last chapter, I really felt like going all out for this. I hope you all enjoy this!

One thing you rarely allowed yourself to do was call in sick for work, but when Arthur offered to take you back to his place that night, you decided that was exactly what you were going to do. You needed this. You needed time to treat yourself, so to hell with it. You were going to spend the night with him, and then tell your boss you had the flu and needed a week. He would understand. ________didn’t even enter your mind. 

There was something about riding the same coastline at night that made it so beautiful. There was no need for city lights, for the stars and the full moon provided the illumination Arthur needed to get you to his place safely, and the crashing of the ocean waves in the background provided a nice romantic soundtrack. You, again, wondered when you had fallen into the pages of a romance novel. 

It was late when you arrived at your destination, but neither of you were tired. In fact, the word to describe the two of you was hungry. He helped you off of his bike and took your hand to lead you inside his cottage, and as soon as he closed the door, you pulled the collar of his tank toward you, stood on your toes, and crashed your lips against his, and he received the kiss with just as much passion, letting his hands wander down your shoulder blades, your spine, your lower back, before finding the curve of your ass and giving it a good squeeze. He groaned approvingly, and with his lips parted you took it upon yourself to taste him. His tongue greeted yours in a welcoming fashion before he began taking steps to his bedroom, never losing contact with your lips, but leading you along, both of you kicking off your shoes as you traveled. 

There was no talking. You picked up your cues from one another. Never had you had any such connection with a boyfriend before, but when he sat at the edge of his bed, neither of you had to ask the other what they wanted. You approached him and straddled his lap like a throne, already feeling the excitement of his length through his jeans. Your inner walls flinched with anticipation as moisture began to pool between your thighs. He leaned back, pulling off his tank and tossing it aside, you doing the same with your blouse. He then laid on his back, smirking at the beautiful site of you on top of him wearing the pretty lacey bra. His hands traveled up your chubby waist, your cute plush tummy, and found their way to your breasts where he gave a gentle squeeze before sliding up to your shoulders to gently pull down your straps. You helped him along by reaching behind you and undoing the hooks. The bra fell upon his hard chest, but he barely noticed. His nostrils flared upon seeing your naked breasts exposed, and he leaned up to find a sensitive nipple with his lips. Your bra sliding off of him and onto the bed as he did. Your head fell back as he began his sensual massage and tended to the other with his hand, giving it some gentle pinches, rolls between his fingers and a few gentle squeezes to the entire breast itself. You felt his hard length pulse between your legs. 

After some time through this foreplay, you decided you couldn’t take this anymore. You wanted the full package. You wanted to allow yourself everything. No more stopping yourself to spare your boyfriend. This was it. This was going to be the real thing. You placed a hand on Arthur’s chest and pushed him down, a move that made him smirk as he laid flat and watched to see what you would do next. What you did was allow your hand to travel down his sculpted chest and abs before finding the button and zipper of his pants. Picking up on what was going on, he did the same, finding the button of your pants, and you worked together in undressing the other until you found yourself in the same place as before. On top of him, but now fully naked. His engorged shaft pressing against your slick netherlips. You were trembling and he reached up to cup your cheek and lock his beautiful eyes with yours with furrowed brows. “We can stop if you want,” he said.   
And you knew in that moment, that you loved this man. This beautiful man that was underneath you, aching to make love to you, but willing to put his desires aside for your comfort. This man who was putting you first. This man who made you breakfast. This man who bought you a cute biker jacket. This man who didn’t say you were beautiful despite the flaws your boyfriend said you had, but thought everything about you was entirely beautiful.   
You loved him, and you were not going to stop yourself from making love to him. You were not going to stop yourself, ever again, from indulging in anything that brought you happiness to appease anyone else. You were done. This was it. 

Smiling, you responded to him by taking his firm length in your hand and lowering yourself down on to him slowly. His head fell back onto the pillow as he let out a deep groan, and your walls flinched around him, adjusting to just how thick he was. You let out your own whimper as you placed his hands on your hips, and it wasn’t until you felt him all the way inside of you that you placed your hands on his chest and began your slow rock. 

He felt amazing, and he looked amazing, as he seemed to be in a trance, watching you on top of him as you both indulged in the pleasure your bodies gave to one another. You realized that everything with _______ was more mechanical than anything else. He liked sex, but only just to get off, it seemed. Sex with Arthur was beautiful. 

With every thrust you moaned and whimpered, and he grunted and groaned, and as you continued to ride him, your hot wet walls grew tighter around him, causing the wonderful friction to almost become unbearable. You couldn’t help but quicken your pace little by little as the love making carried on. Soon, you just couldn’t take it anymore. Your walls clamped around him as you came undone on top of him, you cried out. “Arthur!” And at that moment, you could feel his hot release inside of you as he too reached his climax with his own moan of pleasure. Your body took full control, allowing you to be lost in pleasure, as your hips gyrated of their own accord, riding out the orgasm until you fell limp on top of him. 

But it wasn’t over. 

What happened next should not have been a big deal, but instead of simply falling asleep like ________ tended to do, Arthur wrapped his arms around you, before pulling you down to lay on your side. He then pulled you in closer to kiss your forehead. 

“That was beautiful,” he murmured between heavy breaths. 

You looked up at him and reached up to play with his sandy brown long hair and smiled. “I love you.” 

The words came out in a whisper, and you suddenly grew nervous. You should not have said that aloud. You should have waited for a better time or wait for him to say it, but those worries were melted away by his warm smile. “I love you too.” 

*** 

Arthur woke the next day before Y/N, which gave him a bit of time to marvel at just how gorgeous Y/N looked when she was sleeping. Truth be told, if she hadn’t told him she loved him, he probably would have said it first. He held himself back, for he did not want to disrespect whatever it was she had with her bonehead, but now that she said it, it was like a huge was weight lifted off what it was they had. But now he had a responsibility, and as he brushed her beautiful hair away from her face, he decided he would make it his job to be everything ________ was not for her. As long as she was with him, she would be cherished and valued. There would not be a day that passed where she would not feel beautiful, because that’s what she deserved. 

As Y/N began to stir, he smirked and kissed her forehead. She opened her eyes and stretched her arms a bit before smiling back. “Good morning,” she said.   
“Morning,” he replied before kissing her lips gently, but he didn’t stop there. He trailed kisses down her chin. Her jaw. Her neck. She giggled. “You’re quite an affectionate morning person,” she said, but when he reached her collarbone, she let out a moan, and suddenly, as he reached her cleavage and down her stomach, her breaths began to pick up. “Arthur...” she said breathlessly. 

He found her netherlips and parted them with his fingers, stroking each side up and down gently with his middle and pointer fingers, locking his eyes with her as he did. She parted her legs further to accommodate him, and he accepted her invitation happily as he found her clit with his tongue before wrapping his lips around that sensitive bundle of nerves and began giving it his affection. His fingers did their work as he first pushed one in. Her walls reacted by pulsing around the digit causing him to twitch himself. Their gazes unlocked, only because her head fell back and her hand fell on his head, her fingers tangling in his hair as she began to ride the pleasure he so gladly gave her. His tongue began to flick at her as he pushed an additional finger inside. She cried out and trembled. The way she pulled his hair was almost painful, but god did she taste wonderful! 

She began to quake and tremble until she finally released on his mouth and fingers. Her back arched as she let out one final cry before falling limp again. He licked his lips before kissing up her body once more before burying his face in the curve of her neck and shoulder. “Once again,” he murmured, “Beautiful.” 

***   
After a rather nice shower with Arthur, he gave you one of his shirts to slip on, but seeing you in it seemed to get him going once more. He wrapped his arms around you and his hands began traveling down past your lower back again. “Hey,” you teased as you playfully pushed him away, “I still have to call in sick for work.”   
He gave you a playful smirk and shrugged as if annoyed at having to wait, but decided he would start breakfast as you made your call. You sat in the bed and grabbed your purse to dig through it until you found your phone. You had very smartly turned it off, for you knew who might have called and stopped things from taking off where they had the night before. Turning it on, you had proven to yourself that you were correct. ________ had called four times and sent several texts wondering where you were and why you weren’t answering. You couldn’t help but feel a little bit petty seeing his name. This was the guy who told you that Arthur would disappear once he “got what he wanted.” Unfortunately for ________, he confused what he wanted for what every man wanted, but Arthur was a different type of man, and you had ________ to thank for finding him. 

You scrolled past his name and found your boss. ________ could wait. In fact, he could wait until the weekend hit, and you could meet up with him just as the two of you planned, and you could tell him how you felt face to face.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader finally confronts ________ and tells him how she feels, and Arthur is there to support her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED THIS FIC! You have no idea how fun it was for me to write this fic, and it warms my heart that it brought happiness to so many people. I’m super stoked that a few people even told me that this fic has helped them see their worth and how beautiful all of you really are. It is because of those comments that I had the motivation to finish this fic. I always had a problem with finishing fics in the past, but not this one. I have every single one of you to thank for that. Honestly, I can’t thank all of you enough. This was one of the best writing experiences I have ever had, and I hope all of you will continue to gain happiness from all of my future fics as well. Again, THANK YOU TIMES INFINITY! I hope you find the ending to be satisfying!

________ had woken up on a bright Saturday morning to look at his phone and see that Y/N had texted him after days of not hearing anything from her. 

“Remember that restaurant you saw Arthur and me last week? Meet me there at noon for lunch. I really want to talk to you about Arthur.” 

After reading the text, ________ figured Arthur had broken her heart and she needed a few days to recover. That had to be the reason he hadn’t heard from her. As much as it was probably very difficult for her to process being hurt by him, ________ couldn’t help but feel relieved that soon things would go back to normal. He would have Y/N to himself again, and he would never bring up the idea of opening up the relationship ever again. But in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but think that if something better came along that looked more like that cute waitress at the restaurant, he couldn’t just pass up the opportunity, but right now, he had to focus on one thing, which was getting Y/N back. 

“Sure,” he texted back, “I’ll be there. What time?” 

She didn’t answer right away. Just within enough time for him to slip on some jeans and a T-shirt that was lying around near his bed. 

“Lunchtime. 12:00. I have a lot to say.” 

________’s lips curled. Of course she did. He couldn’t wait to hear her tell him he was right about Arthur. 

*** 

He was a little bit late. Maybe by a half hour, but Y/N was always good about waiting for him. He never worried too much about that. Upon arriving in the entrance of the restaurant, he was greeted by the slight scowl from the cute waitress Olivia. 

“Good afternoon,” she said rather dryly. ________ thought her tone was a bit too dry for someone working in customer service. Maybe he’d make a complaint before he left. “I’d ask you your preference in seating, but I already know you’re here to see Y/N.” She then nodded her head in the direction of a booth where he saw Y/N playing with her phone wearing a curl across her lips. She hadn’t even noticed he walked in. When his thoughts caught up with him, he realized that Olivia knew Y/N by name. They were on a first name basis, which meant Y/N probably knew he tried to pick up Olivia the week before. He suddenly felt very nervous about this meeting. He’d have to play it cool. Act like it wasn’t a big deal. It’s not like he knew they were friends, right? 

But in the back of his mind, he wondered if that would have even stopped him. 

“I’ll let you seat yourself,” she said now suddenly smiling. He didn’t like the way it looked. It was like she knew something that he didn’t. 

It was only when he approached the booth and cleared his throat that Y/N looked up from her phone. Her smile faded and turned into a serious and almost intimidating expression. Never had he ever felt so nervous around her. He began to get the feeling that this wasn’t going to turn out as he planned. “Hello, _______,” she said, “Have a seat.” 

His brows furrowed. It sounded like she was about to give him a job interview that she was already sure he was going to bomb. He took a quick look around before sitting, making sure her tatted beefcake wasn’t there. 

“I’m sorry I’m late,” he said trying to get comfortable across from her. 

“I’ve grown used to it,” she said, “I wanted to see you at around 12:30, so I told you to meet me at 12. I guess, technically, you’re not really late, are you?” 

There was some humor in her words, but her expression was blank. He laughed awkwardly. “I guess not,” he said, “but what is it you wanted to talk to me about. Are you okay?” 

It was only then her smile came back. “I am now,” she said, “I just wanted you to know that I spent some time with Arthur, and things changed, and I’ve finally come to my senses.” 

________ now relaxed into his seat. It seemed silly that he had been worried about any sort of different ending to this situation. “I’m so sorry,” he said, “I knew it was going to happen as soon as I saw the two of you together. I didn’t want to hurt you by telling you, but I guess you just needed to hear it.” 

“I’m not sorry at all,” Y/N said, “I’m glad it happened.” 

“I guess it was like ripping the band-aid off, huh?” he said. 

“I wouldn’t quite describe it like that.” 

Olivia then came over with her notepad ready. “Ready to order?” she asked, but her back was turned to him and she was addressing Y/N and Y/N only. He might as well not even have been there. Never had he felt such a strong cold shoulder given to him by a woman. It made him feel sick. 

“Yes, I’m starving,” Y/N said smiling sweetly, “I have a sweet tooth today, so I’m going to order your chocolate chip pancakes a la mode with hot fudge drizzle, and I’d like a refill of my coffee too if that’s alright?”   
“Of course,” Olivia said taking down the notes, “anything else?” 

Y/N tilted her head and looked over at him. Then and only then did Olivia turn and acknowledge him. “I think I’m good,” he said. 

“Alright then,” Y/N said look back up at Olivia, “thanks, girl.” 

“No problem,” Olivia said with a wink before walking away. 

________ was baffled. Since when did girls who look like Olivia befriend girls like Y/N? He felt like he was in the Twilight Zone. 

“So, anyway,” Y/N said snapping him out of his wandering thoughts, “We need to have a talk about our future.” 

“I’m so glad to hear you say that,” ________ said, “Because this open arrangement has been terrible for our relationship. I’m so sorry I ever brought the idea up. I can see how much it has hurt you, so I think we should close it.” 

“I agree,” Y/N said, “but I wouldn’t say this has experience has hurt me at all. It’s made see things a lot more clearly than ever before.” 

He was now confused. She wasn’t hurt by Arthur giving her the slip? By the looks of it, she seemed totally into him when he saw them together. How could she not be hurt by the way he treated her? 

“You mean, you appreciate what we have?” he asked, “because I sure do. I never want to let you go ever again.” 

Y/N furrowed her brows as if confused by his words and then laughed. “You think I still want to be with you?” she asked, “After I’ve been shown the kind of love and passion I deserve?” 

He felt like he was just punched in the stomach. What was she talking about? Love and passion? If Arthur dumped her, what did she mean by all of this? And what was she implying by love and passion? He was with her, wasn’t he? Despite her not being his ideal, he chose her. He was feeling so confused, but before he could open his mouth to ask for clarification, he saw that her face had suddenly lit up and she wasn’t looking at him anymore, but rather, someone behind him. He turned to see nonother than Arthur. He felt his stomach drop as the rather sturdy man approached their table, not even looking at him, but with his eyes completely focused on Y/N. She stood to greet him, and he watched as he wrapped his massive arms around her and gave her an affectionate squeeze. 

No, this was not going to end as he expected. Not by a long shot. 

The two of them shared a kiss before he finally acknowledged his existence. “Hey, bro,” he said, “Good to see you again. I believe you’re in my spot.” 

It was now ________’s blood began to boil. In his spot?! Who did he think he was? 

Olivia came back over with her notepad. “Hi Arthur!” she said. She was all sunshine and flowers now. Something she neglected to be when speaking to him. “You’re here! I already took Y/N’s order. Will it be the usual for you?” 

“Excuse me?” _______ cut in, tired of being treated like he wasn’t there, “Can someone tell me what’s going on?” 

Olivia’s face hardened. “I’m sorry, sir, but if you continue to raise your voice, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” she said. 

________ could feel the burning of all of their eyes along with everyone else that was within earshot. He took a deep breath trying to catch his cool before speaking. “All I want to know is what the hell is going on,” he said. 

Y/N looked at him as if she were confused that he wasn’t following the events taking place before his eyes. “Don’t you understand?” she asked, “I was just explaining how this open arrangement has been a good experience for me. Because of your proposal that we should expand our horizons and see other people, I met Arthur, and never before have I felt more cared for. I’ve found happiness with him. More so than I’ve ever found with anyone else. I have you to thank for that. You have no idea the favor you have done me by giving me this experience, but as grateful as I am, I would very much like it if you got up so Arthur can have a seat. It would be a very awkward lunch date if my ex insisted on sitting in his seat.” 

*** 

You could see that ________ was fuming now. He had obviously been expecting a different outcome, but now he was thrown for a loop. He looked at you, then Arthur, and then back at you. Olivia stood by with a smirk on her face, enjoying the show that took place in front of her. 

As angry as he was, you could see it in his eyes how lost he was. He really didn’t believe you deserved someone like Arthur, and he was baffled as to why Arthur would choose to be with you, but you weren’t. Arthur wanted to be with you because you were a smart, beautiful, and a good person. You had all the qualities that ________ never cared to see, and he took you for granted. Now it was all blowing up in front of his face. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said with more venom than you had ever heard in his voice. Harsh wrinkles formed between his eyebrows and his upper lip curled up in a snarl. It was almost terrifying, and you couldn’t believe that this was the man you thought you were in love with. Before you could speak, Arthur stepped in. “Y/N asked very nicely for you to take a hike,” he said no longer acting friendly with him, “If you don’t wish to do it her way, I could always throw you out. You wouldn’t be the first bonehead I’ve thrown out of here.” 

Olivia chimed in. “He’s right,” she said, “He’s like family here, and so is Y/N.” 

You felt as if you would melt right there. Not only did you get someone to love you in ways ________ would never even try, but you also got a new wonderful friend out of his mistake. 

_______, however, did his best to play ‘tough guy.’ An attempt to keep his pride, perhaps. He lifted his chin defiantly and looked the bigger man straight in the eyes, but there was no mistaking the shuddering in his limbs as he did it. “And I said I’m not going anywhere.” 

Arthur smirked at this, and in the blink of an eye, Arthur had grabbed him by the shirt, and before you knew it, he had lifted him up and thrown him over his shoulder. He then began making his way to the entrance of the restaurant. Those around you applauded. 

*** 

Upon reaching the door, Arthur tossed him, causing him to land roughly on the ground. ________ groaned in pain and struggled to sit up, but Arthur wasn’t quite done. “There’s plenty more where that came from if you ever bother Y/N again.” 

“I don’t get it,” the bonehead whimpered, “I don’t understand. Of all women, why did you pick Y/N?” 

Arthur laughed. “The fact that you asked that question is the exact reason you lost out on being loved by the most gorgeous woman. This is your first and final warning, bro. Stay away from her.” 

And with that, he turned and walked back into the restaurant, leaving the bonehead to contemplate his mistakes and focus all of his attention on Y/N. 

*** 

Olivia brought your orders over and set them in front of you with a smile on her face. “Bon Appetite, lovebirds!” she said before hurrying off to take care of the other customers. 

The pancakes looked and smelled like heaven and tasted even better. They were like giant soft fluffy chocolate chip cookies topped with rich vanilla ice cream, and the hot fudge on top was like a dream. But even the richness of your meal could not even compare to how it felt to have the most beautiful man sitting across from you. Not just a man, but a king! Everything you could ever want and deserve, and he looked at you like you were the most beautiful woman and as if he were counting his blessings for having you. 

“Any plans this weekend?” he asked with that smirk that still made you feel all giddy. That ‘bad boy’ smirk belonging to the sweetest man you had ever met. “I’m open all weekend,” you replied, “How about we go for a swim after this? I came prepared. I’m wearing a swimsuit underneath.” 

He let out a chuckle. “Sounds like a plan,” he said. 

“And then my place afterward?” 

“I’m down,” he said as Olivia brought the tab. 

Arthur paid and left Olivia a generous tip before helping you up and pulling you in to kiss your forehead before leading you out and walking you down to the beach. And as you walked side by side holding one another’s hand, it suddenly became real that he was yours and you were his. No more barriers of guilt. It was just the two of you, and it was perfect, and it was right.


End file.
